A Cold World
by Bottle Shock
Summary: Time is a tapesty, many threads woven together in a grand design. Many similar fibers making up identical timelines, save one small alteration...changes that become larger and more pronounced the longer they have to affect the timeline. / part 1 of 4
1. Prologue

Time is a tapesty, many threads woven together in a grand design. Many similar fibers making up identical timelines, save one small alteration...changes that become larger and more pronounced the longer they have to affect the timeline.

In this timeline, The Saiyan race is spared only due to a single whim from Lord Frieza.

They survive, but survival is all that they have...

---

A Cold World

_prologue: changes_

"No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.''

_mary wollstonecraft_

---

The birth of his son was supposed to be something to celebrate.

Someone to carry on his will.

A ray of hope for his people.

That's what his son _should_ have been, but Vegeta had been wrong. In the beginning, the Saiyan King did not realize _how_ wrong, or how much they would all suffer for his mistakes. ...For his foolishness.

Or his weakness.

-

As with most Saiyans, King Vegeta didn't see his son except for once during the first three years of his life. That was the day after his birth, before he was sent out for his very first mission, and that was only because Vegeta paused as he hurried by the window, surprised to see the almost-identical little face behind the glass.

It wasn't that he had forgotten -- he had been anticipating the day for months.

But Frieza had summoned him, and during the havoc it had slipped from his top priorities.

King Vegeta only lingered a moment before Zorn quietly reminded him that Lord Frieza was waiting. A frown crossed his face, then, and he turned away from the baby, leading his Elite away from the birthing complex.

The next time he saw his son, the boy was following along behind his mother.

King Vegeta's wife hailed him from further down the hall, and the men behind him stepped out of Tani's way as she came to stand before her husband. She smiled at him, then, realizing he could not see his son, she moved aside. The tiny Prince glanced at her, almost following her as she moved away, but decided against it and remained where she left him.

He frowned up at his father, tail swinging agitatedly behind him.

"He's just returned, my King," Tani said.

Judging by her buoyant expression, and the fact that his son stood before him without any remarkable scars, King Vegeta could only assume that his mission had been a success. He didn't ask about it, and, instead, leaned down toward his son, his hands on his knees.

The boy's frown deepened and his black eyes flickered toward his mother for an instant.

"Does he speak?" the Saiyan King asked, amused.

"Yes, Vegeta," his wife said, smiling, "Of course he speaks."

One of the observing Elite chuckled.

"Perhaps you've frightened him, King Vegeta," the Saiyan suggested, crossing his burly arms, "Go figure, after all the little tike's been through. Intimidated by his own father."

It certainly wouldn't have been the first time that had happened, and Vegeta chuckled, as well.

"I'm not," was the indignant response.

Vegeta blinked, and looked at his son in surprise. The boy frowned up at him and said nothing else, but those two words were enough. King Vegeta smirked, then reached out and ruffled a large hand through the boys hair, adding to his indignity.

-

The year following Prince Vegeta's return did not go as any of them had expected...

-

"We can't hand over the prince to _him_," Zorn protested, breaking the silence that had engulfed the royal hall, "Not to Frieza, I'd rather die than do that. Please, King Vegeta, reconsider."

The Saiyan closed his mouth at the sharp, angry rebuke from his King.

"I don't have a choice," Vegeta said, his knuckles white as he gripped the arm of his throne.

He knew they did not stand a chance at beating Frieza in their current state. He knew the only thing they could do was to give in to his demands, cooperate, and hope the Lizard King continued to favor them. Vegeta had tried to oppose their tyrant once, already.

His wife had been killed.

He would not lose his son in the same manner.

-

"Father," Prince Vegeta said, trailing off as he stepped away from him and toward the waiting Nappa. Nappa would take him to Frieza and then... Vegeta didn't know. He frowned back up at his father, hesitating. "I don't understand."

His father didn't say anything. Prince Vegeta watched him carefully as he glanced at Nappa, who came forward to lead the Prince away. Then his father turned.

And he did not look back.

From there, Prince Vegeta's life changed.

---

(A/n) From Motcn with love! The next chapter is coming soon from KouTai, and I personally can't wait to see how it turns out! =3 We've really thought this thing through, and we're hoping you'll all stick with us till the end!

Please review and let us know what you think!

Also, the two days I spend waiting to post this were agonizing! The Western-Coast time sucks! I'm in the East, dammit!

--Motcn


	2. One

Author: I just finished this chapter today. It's not the longest thing in the world, but just wait until we get farther into the plot. Next chapter will be coming to you from Motcn, so enjoy. By the way, this was written in the course of a few hours when I finally sat down and started working on it.

--

01_Everything's Broken

"_O son, what grief is mine._ _But you sleep softly, little child,Sunk deep in rest within your cheerless home."_**[Edith Hamilton's **_**Mythology**_**]**

--

It was dark.

Not that he noticed, with his eyes already closed in thought. He didn't know how long he had been in the dark, and slightly damp, room aboard the ship. He'd like to think that it didn't matter, but he was already starting to get annoyed at being left alone for so long. It wasn't the solitude that bothered him, however. It was the thoughts that came along with the silence that he'd rather not have.

He really wished that his father would come for him soon.

–-

Nappa was trying to keep a straight face as he followed one of Frieza's chosen henchmen. Zarbon looked smug as he walked down the hallway, keeping his silence. He was leading one of the buffoons to their 'sayain prince'. A lofty title, of course, for a child who was no more than four years old.

The burly saiyan warrior looked around as they neared the end of the cramped corridor. There was a single door, with not even a window, stationed at the end. Nappa started to walk around Zarbon, because now that he knew his destination, he didn't need help. Then, of course, there was the problem of a code that needed to be entered to unlock the door.

Nappa stopped, turning to look at Zarbon. The superior look was still on his face as he stepped past the saiyan, taking his time to key in the seven digit code. Nappa wasn't paying attention, though. Instead, he was running his fingers through the tuft of hair on his head as he stared intently at the door, waiting for it to open.

He did have a job, after all.

Zarbon stood in front of the door as it slid open. Even though his frame blocked most of the light, a few rays managed to get past him, illuminating the young prince that was sitting in the darkness.

Prince Vegeta turned his head, his eyes sharp when they opened. His small, red cape was wrapped around his body, warding off as much as the chill as it could. The young saiyan didn't even notice Nappa. He only had eyes for the man blocking the door.

"I want my father," he stated, his voice echoing as he narrowed his onyx eyes. Zarbon only offered a condescending smile to the young prince before he stepped back. He didn't need to be here anymore. The saiyan could handle it.

Nappa watched Zarbon's back for a moment before he turned toward the doorway. Prince Vegeta was still staring, but he didn't look as cold. His features were relaxed for a moment as he stared at Nappa. It made the bigger man feel a little uncomfortable, having the Prince in his care... not that the Prince needed someone to watch after him.

"We have a mission, Prince Vegeta."

It was just the first of many missions that Vegeta would accompany Nappa on until he was old enough to lead.

--

Prince Vegeta's training was rough.

His usually took on hordes of Saibamen for hours upon end within one of the training rooms. They were no match for him after a few missions, but Frieza continued to force the training upon the young prince. Nappa thought it was ridiculous, but kept his comments to himself as he watched Vegeta on the screen. The boy kicked some ass, even at his age.

When the Saibamen became useless against the Prince, Frieza enlisted traitors that they had captured from other planets. Most of them proved to be too strong for Vegeta, throttling the young Prince around the training room. He was nothing, however, if not resilient. Eventually, even most of the men sent against him left the training room in pieces, if they even left at all.

Nappa found it interesting, that the young prince happened to be so cold.

– -

He was shuffled from planet to planet for months on end. Nappa was always at his side, keeping an eye on the young prince. In the six months that he was shuffled around, he never once got to see his father. He didn't even get to go back to Planet Vegeta. If they had a chance for a rest, it happened upon Frieza's ship, and even then it never lasted more than two or three days.

Even if the Prince did resent the treatment, he kept it all to himself, because he was going to get to see his father. He was.

–-

His first mission alone was to a small planet inhabited with a resistant group. It was his choice to leave Nappa behind, with the approval of Lord Frieza, of course. He wanted to prove himself, because he was sure that once he showed how strong he was, he would be able to see his father again.

Prince Vegeta managed to decimate the enemy within five days by himself.

He was proud, and cocky. When he finally got to see his father again, he would be able to tell him just how strong he was. Vegeta was looking forward to the day.

He was still on the planet, getting ready to head back to Frieza's ship when he received the news that forever changed everything. He had been taking a small break, eating a snack to keep up his energy when the transmission came over his scouter.

His father was dead.

"And, you're sure?" the prince asked, staring off into the fire, hesitating in his eating.

"Affirmative, sir. Lord Frieza sends his condolences and his regrets."

"Oh, really?"

He tried to sound indifferent to his circumstance. He wasn't going to get to see his father, after all.

"Would you like to send a reply, sir?" the voice came in over his scouter.

The boy hesitated for a moment, staring into the fire as he finished the last of his snack. The dead bodies of his enemies surrounded him, and he was utterly alone.

He wondered if Nappa was still out on his mission.

"No, no reply."


End file.
